Q78 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[August, 
Barn Yard JHamire—A Bequest.—In 
order that agriculturists may be able to reason correctly 
in regard to the affairs of farmers in different parts of the 
country, several Important elements should form a basis 
for such reasoning. The markets we all consider—that 
is, the ease with which crops, animals, or animal pro¬ 
ducts may be sold or realized upon. We have every fluc¬ 
tuation in the markets reported daily, and every farmer 
finds it to his interest to be as well posted as he can be 
about prices of pork, beef, butter, corn and flour.—But 
there is another element which the farmers of the 
Eastern and Middle States at least know how to value, 
and which is almost always taken into their calcuhations 
when thinking about buying or bettering a farm, viz. : 
manure—the ability to make it, or to buy it. In all the 
older settled parts of the country barnyard manure has a 
market value. We are desirous of learning what the 
value of it is in ail parts of the country, and will thank 
any of our readers who can conveniently do so, if they 
will give us the price at which they can buy good stall 
or- yard manure of mixed dung and litter from common 
farm-stock. Manure is usually sold by the load, which 
means a load for a pair of oxen or horses, but for accu¬ 
racy we will call it half a cord, 64 solid feet. The price 
within our own knowledge varies frorh $6 to 50 cents. 
Those sections where farmers move barns to get them 
away from the accumulated m.anure are gradually grow¬ 
ing less in number. That the comparison may be the 
more accurate, we ask also that the price per bushel of 
shelled corn or corn on the ear, by weight, on the farm, 
shall also be given. A collection and classification of an¬ 
swers to those questions will be interesting and valu.able. 
Allies for Mamire in Illinois.—“L. 
E. R.” says, there is a steam mill near his farm w here 
they burn coal and wood, and that he can hqve all the 
ashes he wants. His question is whether they wilt pay to 
haul and put about fruit trees, etc., on a yellow clay soil ? 
We think it will pay, especially if the ashes are clean, 
free from clinkers and slag. Coal ashes would be of 
doubtful utility alone, but mixed as we infer they are with 
wood ashes, the value of the mixture depends chiefly 
upon the wood ashes. If there is much wood burned, it 
might pay even to sift the ashes (provided they can be 
easily run through a common coal screen), in order to 
remove the slag and clinker. 
“ Flour of Borne.”— In April, page 129, 
we g.ave a general caution in reference to all fine ground 
fertilizers. The Agents of the “Flour of Bone," (ad¬ 
vertised elsewhere in this paper,) inform us that certain 
Interested dealers quote our remarks as specially appli¬ 
cable to their manufacture. That can hardly be possi¬ 
ble, for the case of fraud referred to, was distinctly stated 
to have occurred two years ago—or before the Boston 
Company's “ Flour of Bone ” was lie.ird of. We have 
had no reason to doubt that the “ Flour of Bone” adver¬ 
tised by them, is pure bone, except the 5 per cent, salt 
added, which they claim to add, especially if furnished 
direct by the Company, or their authorized reliable 
agents. Our only controversy with them has been in re¬ 
gard to the price, and whether the “ floured ” material 
Is as cheap as the lower priced coarser ground. That 
was the main point alluded to in April. 
The Convemieml Farm Oate described 
in the June No. (p. 219), is said by seveial correspond¬ 
ents to be claimed as a patented article and rights offered 
for sale. We know of its h.aving been in use several 
years, and never before heard that the principle had been 
patented. Whose patent is it ? 
Trouble with Squas»lies.— Several eoin- 
plain that they are obliged to give up Winter Squashes 
on account of the borer. One writer finds a borer in the 
root. This is a new trouble, or one new to us. The or¬ 
dinary borer we have h.ad attack the stems, and have some¬ 
times dug him out and saved the plant; but the mischief 
often gets beyond remedy. The parent insect which lays 
the eggs to produce the borer h.as an orange-colored body, 
with black fore wings and transparent hinder ones, and 
long fringes on its hind legs. It lays its eggs upon the 
vine, near the root, from June to August. If any such 
moth is seen about the vines, it is quite sure to mean 
mischief, and it should be caught. They are not very 
numerous, and it is probable that they may be headed 
off, if sufficient c.are be taken. Vines killed by this 
insect should be burned, or, at any rate, the grub should 
be killed, to prevent its increase. 
The Practical Fiitqmolosist.— We 
have before alluded to this monthly, devoted to popular 
entomology. It was commenced ns a gratuitious publica¬ 
tion, and its projectors soon found they had their hands 
full. They now propose to issue It at the very moderate 
price of 50 cents a year, provided .WOO subscribers are 
obtained. Otherwise the publication will not be con¬ 
tinued after September. We trust those interested in 
insects will give it the very moderate support required. 
Insects and Fertilization. —The lovers 
of the curious in nature will not fail to read the papers 
under the above title, contributed by Prof. Asa Gray. 
Most of the facts mentioned in these articles are for the 
first time given to the public, and while they are presented 
in a style so popular that every one can comprehend 
them, they are a very valuable contribution to science. 
IJnibrmented. Wisie. — A Michigan clergy¬ 
man, whose reputation induces us to respectfully con¬ 
sider his communication, takes exception to our state¬ 
ment that there can be no such thing as “ unfermented 
wine,” and informs us that it is an “important Western 
production,” and quotes us the Hebrew name for it. 
While we admit that the reverend gentleman is right as 
to his Hebrew, we insist upon our English. The only 
two English dictionaries we have at hand are Worcester 
and Webster, both of whom give the definition of wine 
“the fermented juice of the grape.” Until we get some 
better authority in English, we shall use the word IVme 
with the meaning above quoted, and Must, for the unfer¬ 
mented juice, which is no more wine than dough is bread, 
Tlie Agfi-icMltisrist S4i*jawl>erry is 
showm at a disadvantage on page 288, as the engraved 
specimen was taken as the average size of a large lot 
raised in the field and sent to market; while of some 
others, the largest specimens were the only ones at hand 
to be engraved from^i The application however of a 
measure to the engraving of the Agriculturist, will show 
it to be very large for field fruit, grown on young plants. 
Tlie Iiiteriintiosial Horticultural 
Exhibition and Botanical Congress.— The 
recent English journals are filled with accounts of the 
great show and gathering which took place in London in 
May last, and to which we alluded in our June issue. A 
friend who was present writes that the exhibition was a 
great success, and the display of plants probably never 
before equalled. The Botanical Congress he describes 
as having been a rather dreary affair, as it well might 
have been with botanists of several different nationalities, 
each reading papers in his own language. Of course 
there were guinea days for the nobility and shilling days 
for common people, and great dinners and tedious 
speeches, as is the custom with our friends over the water. 
Tlie “Golden Queen” Strawlierry. 
—After our notes on varieties were made up, we had 
sent to us specimens of a strawberry called “ Golden 
Queen,” by Mr. J. B. Cline, of Rochester, N. Y. We 
have had an engraving made of one which will show its 
shape, and the average size of the specimens exhibited. 
The fruit is firm, bright scarlet, of a very aromatic flavor. 
It was stated in the summer meeting of the Fruit Grow¬ 
er’s Society of Western N. Y., that this was the same as 
Trollope's Victoria. It certainly has some characteris¬ 
tics of that fruit, but we can not decide on their identity 
without comparing the two. Should this prove to be the 
Victoria, it will add another synonym to that variety. 
Tlie Butter won’t Come.— Ella M. is 
in distress about her cream, and is half inclined to think 
it is bewitched. No amount of churning brings butter. 
It happens so sometimes in good dairies. Change the 
diet of the cows if you can, especially give them salt, but 
begin gradually if they have not been salted regularly, 
and keep it always where they can get it. Take good 
care of the cream, keep it cool, and begin churning at 
the temperature of 58® to 60“ Far. (or 15° C.) 
Camccr Quacks. — Of nil classes of quacks, 
those who make a specialty of cancers are probably the 
worst. case has fallen lately under our notice w hich 
we will record for the benefit of others. An estimable 
lady, in mature life, h.ad been for some years under the 
care of a thorough, attentive and excellent physician, 
and suffering with a cancer, which was only the obvious 
development of cancerous disease, existing in that part 
of the system where it was situated. She might have 
lived for several years under the good treatment she was 
receiving, but was frankly told by her physician that the 
malady would in time prove fatal. By the illjudged ad¬ 
vise of friends she visited New York, submitted herself 
to a notorious cancer quack, submitted to a most ex¬ 
cruciating operation, after which she rapidly sank away 
and within 3 monlhs was in her grave. The quack's fee 
was $300, in addition to some 3 weeks board in the city 
which must have cost $100 more, money which, though 
willing paid, cost no small sacrifice to the family. These 
rasciils are all alike ; they are the cannibals of civilized 
society, aclually devouring not only widow’s houses, but 
letting not even their patient’s lives stand in the way of 
their gain of lucre. Avoid, as you would death, any man 
who advertises his cures. The successful cases of the 
“Cancer Doctors” are usually not cancers, but sore 
glandular turners of some kind. 
Tlie “Frost Flower” ot'Biissia.— 
Under this head the N.Y. Christian Advocate quotes from 
a “ Boston journal” a story of a wonderful flower that 
bursts “from the frozen snow on the first day of the 
year, it grows to the height of three feet, and flowers on 
the third day, remains in flower for 24 hours, and then 
dissolves itself into its original element—stem, leaves, 
and flower being of the finest snow.” And a great deal 
more of the same sort. Can our readers wonder that we 
“pitch into” newspaper science, when stuff similar to 
this is found in a paper in which we look for truth ? The 
Advocate quotes from another journal, but it is no more 
true than if it had quoted from the Arabian Nights or Ba¬ 
ron Munchausen. What thing may have served as a 
foundation of this story we cannot guess, but as the mat¬ 
ter as presented in the article, it is just ridiculous. 
What there is in the constitution of daily and weekly 
newspapers to make them pervert or get at the wrong 
end of all matters of science, we cannot understand. 
“ Tlie Gresift American Paint Com* 
pat»y.”—“ Excelsior Paint.”-An advertisement 
of this, marked for 3 months insertion, appears in several 
papers, and many inquire of us about it. From the name 
and claims, one might expect to find an immense 
establishment. We found a small third-story room, with 
one desk in it, as the office ,- but did not find the “ head 
man” in. We sent one dollar, however, through 
other parties, and got the receipt, marked “copyright 
applied for.” The recipe sold for $1, proposing to make 
an “excelsior paint,” seems to provide only for a lime 
white-wash, as the principal element is lime. Perhaps 
the sugar and salt added, may be of advantage. We 
shall try it. If on further examination and trial, it be 
found to be any improvement, and if the “Secretary” 
can show us any right he has for discovery, etc., we will 
help him sell it; otherwise, we wilt publish the recipe, 
and w hat it amounts to, in our next. 
Silver’s Patent Bi^oossi.— This is a 
novelty, certainly. By means of a cap and screw, the 
brush can be removed ,at any time. We have no broom 
corn at hand to test the removal of the old brush and the 
putting in of new, but we do not .see why it can not be 
readily done by any one, and farmers thus raise a little 
plot of broom corn and make theil- own brooms, after 
buying a patent handle. The one we are using has a 
superior elasticity. 
Tl»e “ Aiij^'ktaiiiig' Parer ” is 
the name of a new machine—partly we suppose to indi¬ 
cate the great rapidity of its work, and partly because all 
the other striking names have already been appropriated 
by the thousand and one apple-parers before the public. 
However that may be, we like the “Lightning parer” 
for its simplicity and good work, two important requisites 
in every machine. It is described in an advertisement. 
The “ Faiaily Kaitinaig' Ha- 
ehlne.—We examined the machine made by this com¬ 
pany with some care at the last fair of the American In¬ 
stitute, and are satisfied that it is a most valuable inven¬ 
tion, being comparalively simpie, exceedingly rapid in 
operation, and adaptable to a great variety of work. 
“ Grantl Aatioiaal Fojiccrt ” at Wash¬ 
ington.—Sundry circulars for the above come in just as 
we go to press, and have not opportunity to verify them. 
From the looks of the thing, we should have called it a 
gigantic “ Gift enterprise ” of exceedingly doubtful char¬ 
acter, but these circulars are np/zarenf/y franked by re 
spectable members of Congress. Wonder if they saw 
the “pins,” “ear rings,” ‘ sleeve buttons,” “spoons,” 
etc., offered ? At best it is a disreputable affair, and is 
no better than a huge lottery, to say the least. The end 
not a whit sanctifies the means. 
A Year of the SSiBidei’pcst iu Great 
Britain. —June 22d completed the first year of the dis¬ 
ease in England. Excluding the unreported cases, the 
official Report gives: 248,965 Cattle attacked; of which 
124.187 died, 80,597 were killed, 32,989 recovered, and the 
results of 11,192 cases are not given. 51,343 cattle ex¬ 
posed, were slaughtered before being attacked. More 
th;in 1 in every 20 of the cattle in Great Britain were at¬ 
tacked ; and of these, about 861K in every 1009 perished. 
Of Sheep, 4,463 were officially reported attacked by the 
Rinderpest; of which 4,002 died or were killed, and 461 
recovered. 22 counties remairied unvisiled by the dis¬ 
ease,—During the last week, the attacks numbered 666. 
The average weekly attacks during the year were 4,778. 
